


By His Side

by sigynwrites_13



Category: Crimson Peak (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, Angst, Crimson Peak Inspired, Crimson Peak Spoilers, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, One Shot, Requested, crimson peak spin off, imagine, no edith cushing, tumblr one shot, victorian au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 15:13:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17368280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sigynwrites_13/pseuds/sigynwrites_13
Summary: Based on this: "You cannot change the past, but you can shape the present to create the future."





	By His Side

**Author's Note:**

> this was requested by an anon, i hope you guys like it. please let me know what you think!!!  
> read the original post here: https://things-i-live-for.tumblr.com/post/181887181302/by-his-side

Since the day he saw you he was captivated by you. You were at the farmer’s market, in the closest town to Allerdale Hall, standing next to a pile of red apples admiring them. He watched you from afar and when he noticed you were making your way to the bookstore, he followed you. He saw you approaching the paranormal section, so he took it as a chance and walked towards you. Your hat partially shielded your face from him, so you didn’t notice him standing next to you until he spoke.

“Is that a fan of ghost stories what I see?” His voice was gentle but had a flirty undertone in it.

You turned quickly towards the voice and the sight made you blush. A man with dark curly hair, pale skin and beautiful eyes stared at you. He looked in his late twenties, perhaps early thirties. He was very well dressed and had a strong presence in the room, but what captivated you the most were his eyes. Baby blue eyes adorned with long lashes looking at you expectantly.

Smiling shyly at him, you lightly lowered your head to hide the warmth colouring your cheeks and answered him. “I find them very intriguing, Sir.”

“Thomas Sharpe. But please, call me Thomas.” As you lifted your gaze, you noticed him smiling bashfully at you. “If it is not too forward from me, may I know your name?”

You shook your head and told him your name. His smile got wider, if that’s even possible, and he stretched his hand towards you. You took it and he brought your hand to his mouth, his lips kissing softly your knuckles as he stared at you.

“Beautiful name for a beautiful lady.”

You couldn’t help but blush again. This man was going to be the death of you!

As you placed your hand back to your side, you tried to look composed and relaxed. “Thomas, if you don’t mind me asking but, do you live here? In the town, I mean.” You had been here for a week and a half and you had never seen him around, you wondered if he was a traveler or if you just had been unlucky, not having seen him before today.

“I don’t mind. And to answer your question, no. I live in Allerdale Hall. It’s around one maybe two hours away from here.” He explained and you couldn’t help but open your eyes in surprise. Luckily he didn’t seem to notice and continued speaking.

“But you…” he looked at you suspiciously and with a playful smile. “You are a foreigner, are you not?”

You nodded meekly and smiled. “That I am.”

“Ah, yes. If you were from here I’d certainly recall such lovely face.” His eyes twinkled and you laughed.

“How charming, Thomas.” Once your laughing died down you noticed you had been here for quite a while and it was getting late. You still had some errands to run but you didn’t want to leave. Thomas was great company.

“I am afraid I must leave. It was nice meeting you Thomas Sharpe.”

“Would you like me to escort you back home? A lady like you should not walk alone.” His face showed concern and you were touched by it.

“I appreciate your concern but it will not be necessary. I’ve got the impression that we will be meeting again, Thomas.” In an act of bravery you winked at him. It was improper, but you felt like you had known this man for you entire life.

You could see the tip of his ears growing red but his smile never faltered.

“So do I, my dear.”

* * *

You saw Thomas two weeks after your first meeting.

Mrs. Dudley, a very short sweet lady and owner of the room you were staying at, gave you an envelope addressed to you from the Sharpe’s. They were inviting you to the annual ball, in memory of Lady Beatrice Alexandra Sharpe, Thomas’ mother. Mrs. Dudley told you all about the Sharpe’s: from Thomas’ title as a baronet, which you already knew, to his sister Lucille and the red clay mines. Everyone in town seemed to think the Sharpe’s were a very strange family and they tried to evade them as much as they could, but Mrs. Dudley assured you that Thomas was a gentleman and a good person, nothing like Lucille.

With the help of Mrs. Dudley, you found a beautiful gown for the ball. It was made with the finest fabrics you could find in town in a deep green colour, which contrasted beautifully with your skin. You had matching gloves and shoes. Your hair was pinned at the top of your head and once you finished your make up you were ready to go.

There was a carriage sent to the town to fetch you, curtesy of the Sharpe’s. During the drive to Allerdale Hall your mind wandered towards Thomas’ sister, Lucille. From what Mrs. Dudley told you, she was a very beautiful woman but there was something in her that didn’t feel right. She was always composed and her words where carefully measured, as if she had practiced them beforehand. You only hoped you didn’t get on her bad side and perhaps you could be friends.

You were so lost in your head that you didn’t notice when you arrived. There was quite a crowd outside the house. High born Ladies and Lords, with the finest gowns and suits you had ever seen in your life stepped out of the carriages and made their way to the house. All women had their necks and ears adorned with extravagant jewels and elegant yet forced smiles. It’s not like you weren’t used to it, being a high born yourself, but all the hypocrisy that accompanied this events was tiring for you.

Once you were out of the carriage, you thanked the driver and walked to the entrance.

The gates were huge and they were adorned with columns of flower arrangements and candles. It all looked like it came out from a fairytale. Laughter filled your ears as you got closer, men and women talked while the band played a soft, happy tune. You smiled at the sight, it had been months since you had assisted a ball and the fact that you would be seeing Thomas made you giddy and excited.

You kept walking and looking all over the place when your eyes met a pair of blue ones not too far away from you. Your breath caught in your throat, Thomas looked as dashing as always. His suit fitting him perfectly with his hair gelled back and the brightest smile. His eyes seemed to glow under the candlelight, looking crystal clear. Unbeknownst to you, he was also having trouble finding his breath after seeing you enter through the gates.

He made his way to you and time seemed to stop. Everyone freezing and standing still, everyone but you. Extending his arm, he finally talked to you. “Will you honour me with your hand for a waltz?”

You felt butterflies erupt in your belly. Nodding your head, you accepted his arm and he brought you to the dance floor. Once the music began, he placed one hand on your waist and interlaced the other one with your hand.

A nice, slow paced waltz began to play and you couldn’t help yourself from getting lost in his eyes. He looked at you and it felt he was looking at your very soul, a smile grazing his lips. You were in awe and your face showed it. With a love struck smile, you kept staring at him thorough the dance, never breaking eye contact, only when he turned you in circles, but you quickly found his eyes again. You were so lost in each other that you momentarily forgot where you were.

“I must say, you’re making every woman in the room feel insecure.” He murmured while still looking at you. You must have looked confused because he proceeded to explain himself. “You look beautiful, darling. The most beautiful woman in this room, I dare to say.”

You felt your cheeks grow warm, but it didn’t stop you from answering him. “Only in this room?” You fake pouted at him and then laughed at his reaction, his eyes opened and a blush began to crept on his cheeks.

“I mean, I’m sure you are the most beautiful woman in the whole country. I-I just… I–”

Your laugh stopped his rambling and he realized what you had done. He rolled his eyes playfully but smiled nonetheless.

“That was rather mean, my dear.” He feigned annoyance but his cheeky grin betrayed him.

The music stoped and Thomas, being the gentleman he was, removed his hand from your waist and guided you towards a chair so you could refresh yourself.

“You surely know how to dance, Thomas.”

Watching him laugh got you in a trance. His head fell back and his eyes closed tightly, making wrinkles appear around them. His smile was wide and bright, giving him a glowing aura you had never seen in anyone else.

“I’m glad I was enough for your standards, dear.” He teased and you smiled.

You knew everyone was looking at the both of you after Thomas’ loud laugh. There were whispers and judging glances around you but you paid no mind. Sadly, a clearing throat behind you got your attention and you saw Thomas posture go rigid and his smile disappeared.

Turning in your seat to face the intruder, your eyes came face to face with a deep red corset. As you trailed your eyes upwards, you felt yourself grow scared, as if you had been caught doing something bad. Once you reached the face you gulped and stood up. There it was, Lucille Sharpe standing before you. You only needed a glance at her cold eyes to know that. Mrs. Dudley wasn’t messing with you when she said she could be rather intimidating.

“Lucille.” Thomas seemed to hesitate for a second, looking between her and you, but finally setting his eyes on the floor, hands tucked on his pockets. “This is–”

But he was cut short by her. “Your guest from the town.”

She didn’t seem pleased with your presence but she smiled at you, so fast that you thought you imagined it.

“It’s nice to meet you. You must be Thomas’ sister.” You tried to be polite but apparently you only got things worse.

She flinched and her face went stoic at the name. “ _Mrs_. Sharpe. Lucille Sharpe.”

You frowned at her remark, it sounded oddly possessive and it didn’t make any sense, but you let it slip not knowing what else could it mean. Looking at Thomas, you saw him stare at his sister with a lost face. His eyes looked dull and you found yourself frowning at him. He must have felt your stare because he switched his gaze towards you and all the life seemed to come back to his body.

“ _Sister_ ,” Thomas turned to her trying to draw her attention on him. “Miss Enola Stewart asked for you. Said she had a very important matter to discuss with you.”

Lucille kept staring at you when she answered him. “I should go find her, then.”

Thomas looked at Lucille and it seemed like he was pleading her. What? You did not know. Without another word, she glanced at Thomas one more time and left.

You didn’t see her for the rest of the ball.

* * *

After Lucille’s interruption at the ball you didn’t have much more time to talk with Thomas. Gentlemen approached you for a dance and even if you refused at first, you couldn’t do it with every man that asked you, that would be rude. So you danced with other men, distant relatives of the Sharpe’s, until it was time for dinner. But you didn’t stay much longer after that. Your feet hurt, so you decided to call it a day and go home.

Mrs. Dudley asked you all the details the next morning. You told her about the incident with Lucille and she told you to be more careful.

“I’m telling you, child. She’s evil.” She shook her head and pursed her lips. “Some even say she’s the devil herself.”

You felt chills run through your body at that. But you knew she was exaggerating, gossiping seemed to be a usual thing in this town.

After your talk with her, you decided to go for a walk, perhaps go to the bookstore and purchase a book to entertain yourself. Grabbing your coat, you made your way out of the house and began your walk. The clouds were grey, light rain falling from them. It was autumn and the mix between rain and breeze made the air colder. You walked quickly but careful of not staining the end of your dress with mud. After five minutes, you finally reached the bookstore and quickly made your way inside.

The warmth engulfed you and you sighed in relief. You took off your coat and carried it on your arm as you walked towards the paranormal section. But to your surprise, Thomas was already there, sitting on a small sofa with a cup of tea on his hands.

“Mind if I join you?” You whispered on his ear making him jolt in surprise. Once he realized it was you, he smiled and let out a relieved laugh.

“Of course not. Come and sit with me, darling.” He made room for you to sit and you ended up squished against him, your faces were so close that you could only focus on his eyes.

He offered you a cup of tea and you accepted it, sipping carefully to avoid burning your tongue. A few minutes passed by in complete silence, just you and him drinking tea while staring at the fire in front of you.

Thomas was the first one to break the silence. “Where are you from?”

You looked at him with a confused look on your face, he caught you off guard. Noticing your face, he quickly tried to explain himself. “I’m sorry I just realized I never asked.”

“America. But I came here to escape my family.” Playing with the fabric of your dress, you looked down at your lap, avoiding his stare. “T-they were arranging my marriage with a man I don’t know. So, I wanted to be free for a while, experience the world. But I know that eventually I will have to return.”

Your sad tone made him frown, feeling his hopes going down the drain. It didn’t matter that he had met you a few weeks ago, because he knew you had already made your way into his heart. “Must you go back home?”

You sighed and finally looked at him again, this time with a sad smile. “Once I run out of money, yeah, I suppose.”

Silence sat between the both of you again. Thomas still processing what you just told him and you trying to steer away the disturbing images of you marrying someone you don’t love.

“Have you ever been in love?” This time, it was you who caught him by surprise. “I wonder what it feels like.”

Thomas cleared his throat and seemed to think for a bit before finally answering you. “I wouldn’t say I have but, from what I have read, many books describe it as a fuzzy feeling that brings warmth to your soul by the mere presence of your loved one or the thought of them.” He paused and took this time to face you. Smiling fondly at you, he continued. “You feel as if you’re floating, wanting to spend every living moment with them.”

The look in his eyes made your heart clench. His blue eyes were laced with longing and love. “It seems you’re very familiar with the feeling.”

You couldn’t hide the bitter tone in your voice. You had to admit you had been harbouring feelings for him for the past two weeks and the fact he was already in love with someone else made you loose hope.

His breathy laugh got you out of your thoughts. He kept staring at you with all those emotions swirling in his eyes and a smile made its way to his lips. “I cannot deny I’ve been feeling like that since the day I met you.”

You felt your heart stop and then start beating again but much faster and stronger than before. Your mind went crazy with a million thoughts and questions. You must have looked horrified because a few seconds later Thomas was apologizing.

“Forgive me, that was very forward of me.” Gazing down to his lap, his smile was gone and you could see the light tint on his cheeks. Did he think you were rejecting him?

Grabbing his face, you lifted it and turned it towards you. You saw his confused stare and you smiled softly at him. “Don’t worry, I think I’ve been feeling like that too.”

Smiling like two lovesick teenagers, you spent the rest of the day at the bookstore. Sharing shy glances and bright smiles.

* * *

Since that day, You and Thomas were inseparable.

He always came to town to visit you, take you out on strolls or just for tea. A few days after his confession he began to court you. He said he felt bad for not asking for permission properly to your father, but you assured him it was fine. Mrs. Dudley loved him, Thomas got on her good side when he brought her a bouquet of flowers and pastries as a gift for letting him visit you.

One day you were walking around the streets with Thomas when you bumped into an old man. The man looked up at you and began to apologize but stoped abruptly when he noticed Thomas by your side.

“Evil creature! Go back to your mansion and don’t come back! Monster!” The man was in hysterics. He had a burning rage in his eyes directed at Thomas.

He went rigid and his face looked stoic while you looked surprised by the old man’s outburst.

“Sir! That’s no way to treat someone. Let alone someone you don’t know.” You reprimanded him but it fell on deaf ears.

“You’ll do good in getting away from him, child. This isn’t a person, this is the devil.”

Your mind quickly went to Mrs. Dudley words about Lucille. She had also called her the devil. It must be a coincidence, right?

Ignoring the man’s yells and insults, you dragged Thomas away by his hand. You kept walking until you found a bench and sat down on it, motioning for Thomas to sit down as well. He hesitated but eventually gave up and sat down, but you couldn’t help but notice the distance he had placed between the both of you.

“Thomas? Are you all right?” You were concerned, his face unreadable as he looked away from you. Forcing him to look at you, you grabbed his chin and guided his face to yours. “Thomas, you don’t believe what this man said. Right?”

His silence was your answer.

“Oh, dear.” Sadness filled your heart and you hugged him without a second thought. You felt him grow rigid under your embrace but after a second he relaxed and hugged you back. “That man doesn’t know how incredible you are. He had no right to say such things about you!”

You grabbed him by the shoulders, getting him at arms length so you could face him properly. His playful eyes now looked dull and guilty. It broke your heart to see him so broken, so vulnerable.

“Thomas,  _please_. Look at me.”

Finally looking at you, he sighed and closed his eyes. “I don’t deserve you.” Once he opened his eyes, he grabbed your hands and brought them to his lips, placing a kiss on each knuckle. “You are so good to me.”

“That’s because you are good to me as well.” You whispered and eyed him carefully, afraid of scaring him away.

Making your way closer to him, you slowly leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. He stared at you with a mix of surprise and confusion, before a small smile appeared on his lips. Thomas let go of your hands and grabbed your face instead. Leaning forward, he asked for permission with his eyes and you nodded your head. Cold lips met your own and your heart threatened to burst out of your chest. He caressed your cheeks with his fingers and you couldn’t help but sigh at the feeling. Thomas took this as a chance to deepen the kiss, gently stroking his tongue on yours and then capturing your bottom lip with his teeth before placing a chaste kiss on your lips.

Your cheeks were flushed and he had a cheeky grin. Things couldn’t get better.

* * *

But they did get worse.

When you heard about what Thomas and Lucille did alone, or about the murder of their mother, you couldn’t help but feel so broken and betrayed. A nauseating feeling settled in the pit of your stomach threatening to make you vomit. You needed answers, so when Thomas came around noon to his daily visit, you demanded him to explain and tell you the truth.

Seeing you flinch away from him when he tried to reach out for you made his heart squeeze in pain. He closed his eyes and sighed, knowing that lying would be useless. “I once read this line in one of the books you recommended me:  _You cannot change the past_.” He admitted, his strong tone wavering slightly. Then, he opened his eyes and continued. “ _But you can shape the present to create the future._ ” He murmured softly, his breath gently fanning on your face as his eyes searched for yours, begging you to see him, all of him. He knew what he did was wrong, so wrong and sinful; but he was willing to put it all behind and show you how much love and care he had for you.

You knew you loved him, you wanted to believe him but what he did was monstrous and you didn’t know if you’d ever forget that.

“How do I know you will not do it again?” Your voice was firm, your eyes staring him down. Daring him to lie to you. “T-that you have changed. How do I know that?” The light stuttering in your voice broke his heart. He was causing you so much pain and he was the only one at fault.

“Because you are all I ever wanted and loosing you will utterly break my heart.” Conviction laced his voice, his eyes holding your gaze and his hands grasping your shoulders with a firm but gentle grip at the same time. “I love you,  _more than anything._ And I want nothing more but to share my life with you, for whatever’s left of it, and to be by your side. My heart beats and lives only for you, in fact, I feel as if a link exists between your heart and mine. A-and should that link be broken, either by distance or by time, my heart will cease to beat and I would die. And you…” He sighed, feeling the defeat consuming his soul while tears fell freely down his cheeks. “You would soon forget about me.”

You felt your heartshatter at the sight of him. The conflict in your soul made you doubt yourself. Was it right to let him go, leave and never see him again? Or does he really mean to change and put such horrid past behind? Drowning in anguish and pain, a sob racked your body as it made its way past your throat escaping through your mouth. Doubling over yourself, you breathed and closed your eyes, trying to calm yourself.

Thomas felt his soul leave his body as more minutes passed and you didn’t say anything. To say he was scared was an understatement, he was terrified and he regretted everything he had ever done in the past. He knew he was the unworthiest person for you and that you deserved better, but he was selfish and he meant it what he said his heart was linked to yours; he loved you and a life without you in it wasn’t worth living for. He felt so helpless and so defeated that he began to sob as well.

You lifted your head when you heard his cries. Supporting himself on the wall, with a wild and distraught look in his face, he stared at the floor as shame washed over him. One look at his eyes, red rimmed and filled with tears, was all it took for you to accept him. “I would never forget about you, Thomas.”

Getting close to him, you wrapped your arms around his middle as he finally let his sobs out, raking his body and breaking him. You felt his weight on you and you hugged him even tighter. His knees gave up and he fell to the floor, dragging you along with him.

“I’m so sorry, so so sorry.” His cries got muffled when you guided his face to the crook of your neck. “…so sorry, I’m a monster.” Heavy breaths fell on your neck along with his tears.

You hugged him by the shoulders and let him cry out his pain. Pulling away his hair from his sweaty forehead, you forced him to look at you. “We will get through this,  _together._ But you have to promise to try and do your best because I-I can’t do this alone.”

After kissing him on his forehead, you nestled him back to your chest and held him tightly, as if it could glue back the pieces of his shattered heart.

“I promise.” He whispered and you barely heard him. “I promise I will be the man you deserve and I will love you so much, never doubt that my darling.” Still hugging you, he lifted his head to gaze at you, straight to your eyes. He looked like a lost little boy, desperation clear in his blue eyes. You felt your throat constrict and a painful tug in your chest as you looked at him.

“And  _I_  will love  _you_ , Thomas.”

He smiled at you and you rubbed his rosy cheeks. You belonged to each other, you knew it and no one could convince you otherwise. Thomas sat up and rested his forehead on yours, rubbing your noses together and you closed your eyes, letting out a shaky sigh.

You adored him, and he adored you back. And nothing felt more right than to be by his side.


End file.
